Tax Evasion Lawyers in Forest Acres

In South Carolina, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a willful failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.

One of the most common prevalent tactics of tax evaders in Forest Acres, South Carolina is to attempt to make it appear to an outside observer that their tax liability is lower than it truly is, such as by concealing income, fraudulently transferring property, and others.

You may also be acquainted with the term "tax avoidance." It is crucial that you don't confuse this with "tax evasion." Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and is probably something that every taxpayer does whenever they file, whether they know it or not. It involves employing legal methods to make one's tax liability as small as possible, taking advantages of deductions and other tax breaks.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Forest Acres, South Carolina

The laws of the federal government, as well as South Carolina take tax evasion quite seriously, making it a crime.

In Forest Acres, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, particularly first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not typically so severe, particularly when it looks like the failure to pay taxes was the result of an honest mistake, rather than deliberate fraud.

But if the government is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Forest Acres, South Carolina intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is very unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Forest Acres, South Carolina Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Forest Acres, South Carolina attorney who concentrates in tax law can help ensure that you are in conformity with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Forest Acres, South Carolina tax attorney more than ever. If you are, in fact, innocent, a tax attorney can give you the best possible chance of being found not guilty.